Good to see more recognition and positive action for the issue of how our justice system in Los Angeles cares for mentally ill inmates.

“Over the last month, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Sheriff Jim McDonnell have pledged sweeping reforms of the justice system’s chronically poor treatment of mentally ill inmates. Advocates for the mentally ill and homeless say that the entire county system is broken. Inmates such as Carey with severe psychological diagnoses repeatedly fall through the cracks and land back on the streets, even when housing is available, they say.”

‘”Too often, homeless people with significant disabilities and health problems are just dumped back on the street, from which they cycle through the police stations, courts, jails and then back to the street — all at great cost to taxpayers as well as the health of poor people with disabilities,”‘ said retired UCLA professor Gary Blasi, a longtime Los Angeles homelessness researcher and advocate.

City Council members unanimously voted to ban the possession of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Mayor Eric Garcetti said that he was eager to sign the measure.

“Such magazines have been “the common thread” in almost all the mass shootings that have devastated the country, from Newtown to Virginia Tech to Columbine, said Juliet Leftwich, legal director for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Backers of the plan said it was a small but meaningful step to minimize the bloodshed, by forcing attackers to at least interrupt their rampages to stop and reload.”

Following Veterans Day, we have some very positive news in Los Angeles. The Veterans Association has a contract now with Step Up on Second, a nonprofit helping and housing those with mental illness, including schizophrenia, to house at least 100 veterans with some form of mental illness or PTSD. I was excited to hear about this during my interview with Tod Lipka, the CEO of Step Up on Second. Great to see it confirmed on their blog.